iFixit: Apple's iPhone 14 Is Its Most Repairable in Years
It may seem like Apple added only minor tweaks to the iPhone 14, but there's a huge change under the hood that makes it the most repairable iPhone in years, according to iFixit.
Unlike older models, the iPhone 14 can be opened from the back and front of the device, making it easier to repair both the display and back glass panel, instead of picking one over the other.
iFixit discovered the change while conducting a teardown(Opens in a new window) of the iPhone 14. Apple previously only made iPhone models accessible from the front display, dating back to the iPhone 8. As a result, repairing a back glass panel on an iPhone can be an expensive hassle, costing between $349 and $599, depending on the model.
For the iPhone 14, repairing the back glass panel now only costs(Opens in a new window) $149. This is because you can rather easily pop off and unscrew both sides of the iPhone, assuming you have the right tools.
The design change promises to streamline repairs for the iPhone 14, opening up easier access to the various components inside. Apple accomplished the redesign by adding a metal “midframe” that can support holding internal components on both sides.
“That’s no small feat,” iFixit said. “The new metal midframe that supports the structure required an entire internal redesign, as well as an RF (radio frequency) rethink and an effective doubling of their ingress protection perimeter.”
The redesign resulted in iFixit giving the new model a seven out of 10 in terms of repairability. This makes the iPhone 14 the most repairable model since the iPhone 7 from 2016.
The bad news is that Apple has activated software locks when it comes to repairing the back glass panel on an iPhone 14, according to iFixit, citing
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